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Los Angeles Tops U.S. Cities in Lonely Planet's Best in Travel 2017

Los Angeles has been named to Lonely Planet’s Best in Travel 2017, the highly anticipated collection of the world’s hottest trends, destinations and experiences for the year ahead. The bestselling, inspirational travel yearbook from the acclaimed travel authority highlights the top ten countries, cities, regions and best value destinations that Lonely Planet’s experts recommend travelers experience in 2017.

In Lonely Planet's list of Top 10 Cities to visit in 2017, Los Angeles is ranked third in the world and is the highest ranked city in the Americas, ahead of Merida, Mexico (#4) and Portland, Oregon (#10).

“We are humbled to say that Los Angeles is having a moment," says Don Skeoch, chief marketing officer for Discover Los Angeles. "2015 was our fifth consecutive year of record-breaking tourism, as we welcomed 45.6 million visitors from around the globe, and 2016 is pacing to be yet another banner year. Our culinary scene is positively thriving, thanks in part to the city’s celebration of diversity and creativity, new ‘it’ neighborhoods are constantly emerging, and visitors are more attracted to the ‘L.A. lifestyle’ than ever before.”

Expo Park/USC Station on the Metro Expo Line | Photo by Daniel Djang

Lonely Planet’s writers and experts spend time on the road in almost every destination in the world, and each year they report which destinations are set to take off, offering travelers the best experience available. The destinations selected for Best in Travel meet specific criteria - it could be that something special is going on in the year ahead; there's been recent development and a lot of buzz about the place; that it offers travelers new things to see or do; or that the Lonely Planet team of experts thinks it’s been overlooked and underrated and suggests travelers visit before the crowds do.

The Winter 2016 issue of Lonely Planet magazine, which hits newsstands November 7, is a Best in Travel 2017 special edition that includes a feature on walking the length of Sunset Boulevard in L.A.

For more information, visit the Lonely Planet landing page at lonelyplanet.com/best-in-travel, which features all of the Best in Travel 2017 destinations and additional advice on visiting them.